Friday, December 21, 2007

Thursday, December 20, 2007

There are places that have giant fans that blow people into the air so that they can really fly.Agent Delta

I had a dream something like that once. We (Dad, Mom, Naomi, Nick, Nat, me) all visited a space station for Nathaniel's birthday, and they used the jet engines to blow us up in the air, and you have to go straight up or you'll get out of the flow and fall and die. It was pretty hard. Then we played a game where it was put at an angle, and when we were blown we had to fall into the windshield of Nick's new car and catch the yellow crayon there. It was a great game till Nathaniel crashed and died. Then Nick died. Dad and Mom and Naomi didn't want to play any more, but they let me, only they drove away in the late Nick's car, and i had to catch the yellow crayon in midair (i think it floated), and do an air-flip and land on my feet. After that i don't remember.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

I clutched the small piece of paper closely to my chest, running hard and fast away from the group of people. I slowed down just enough to look back a time or two. They were giving me strange looks, and i trembled and picked up my pace. I slowed again a little later, this time to a stop: I had reached where i was going.

I took a deep breath - and entered. Walk slowly, i told myself. Be respectful. My feet were unusually quiet upon the floor, as i was walking toe-heel, toe-heel, always bringing the latter down carefully.

I stopped, just two feet away from the Heirloom Box. It was a lovely thing, all dark subtle green, like the color of a dark pine, just ready for you to decorate for Christmas, full of promise and mystique. There was a black plastic bag inside, to protect the Box itself, and to package up the heirlooms to make room for more. The bag was also a thing of beauty; both Box and bag were made of the finest plastic, picked from the rare and hushed-up plastic trees way up in the Himalayas. A special group of monks, snipers, and upholsterers went to pick and choose the very finest for Heirloom Boxes and bags, and also to nourish and prune all the plastic trees and saplings, in hopes that someday there will be more.

I gazed lovingly at the Heirloom Box, but i was still thinking of the group of people back in the hall, and it would be terrible to approach the Box with angry or frightened thoughts.

Involuntarily, i remembered what had happened…

We (the youth group) were putting Christmas cookie platters together for the bake sale, and we had just finished. I was taking one last plate in to the room where two people were putting plastic wrap (made of cheap, discount synthetic plastic) on them, and when i came back, everybody else was gathered in a sort of group, laughing. I wedged my way in to see what was up, and there it was: the paper. The poor little thing was frightened beyond its wits, and was fluttering at every movement of the plastic-gloved (also cheap plastic) people. At a quarter the size of most papers, the paper was already too tiny to be out on its own, not to mention crumpled up to be made smaller. When i was still for a moment, i saw the holes in one shoulder where it had been stapled to its fellows.

Quicker than i would have thought i could, before i could think at all, i crouched down and scooped it up. It struggled feebly for a moment, but it was only paper, and i held it carefully so as not to spook it further, if possible. Then i ran.

And now here i was. My heart was steady now. I was calm.

I almost took a step right then. When i look back at it, i still shiver a little. How could i have not thought? I forget things sometimes, but this is the most important, memorized from the first. I sat for a moment and pulled off my shoes, then my socks. A small clod of dirt fell from the crevices of my shoe's sole, and after a moment's thought, i collected that along with the paper. It, too, was an heirloom.

Then i stepped. One, two, two and a half steps altogether, taking baby steps. I kneeled to the Heirloom Box and pressed my free hand, my left, to its side, asking permission. I kept it there for the count of six Hippopotami, and as it was still there and intact after the last one, i stood once more, hugging the - my - heirlooms one last time. Carefully, though. That dirt clod could break pretty easily.

I took the lid off the Box and took it smoothly to the floor. And gently, ever so gently, i placed the heirlooms in their Box. I could almost hear them getting happier. They were in their place now, and if i wanted i could go visit them at the Heirloomyard. Oh to be an Heirloomgirl, the glamor! Like the Heirloomman in Dilbert. One of the few who appreciates it openly. I hear they have strict tests for Heirloompeople, though. They have to.

I put the lid back on the Heirloom Box and backed away a few feet, back to my shoes and socks, put them back on, and exited silently. My work here was done.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Ah, the Seminary is a great place. In the chapel i can sing as loud as i can and not be heard, at the library i can check my e-mail or read terrifyingly thick books, and this time i spent a lot of time at the clothing bank, shopping. I got three pairs of jeans (i've been marveling ever since at how warm they keep my legs), six skirts (hehe), and four sewing patterns. Blouse, skirt, skirt, jumper.

I got asked today again if i'm a Sem-wife. I don't look that old, do i?

Yesterday at Grandma's i helped move a bunch of furniture. She was having the carpet in one of the upstairs bedrooms re-stretched to get rid of the forming mountains, so we moved out two chairs, a floor lamb, several stacks of books, three large boxes, a nightstand, two mattresses, two boxsprings, and various other bits of stuff. The other things, three dressers and two bedframes, the carpet people were able to work around.

And i got to pick my first Christmas tree. Every year we use the fake one in the attic. But i went with Grandma (and cousin Ben, two years old) to the place, and they were looking at trees with my Uncle Dave, who was proving every one to have gaping holes or rabies or something, and i just picked a tall-looking tree (always a plus) and showed it to them, and it was a good tree. Grandma and Aunt Amy and cousin Brandon (Ben's family) and i had to move a little furniture in the living room for the tree, but it wasn't that much.

Benjamin has bright red hair, bright red eyebrows, and even bright red eyelashes. He's pretty big for his age, and doesn't say much. He said Dindin for Brandon, barn which is exactly right, tthurt for church, and tree, once again right. He might've said Maggie once, but it's doubtful, as he wasn't sure if i could be trusted. Oh yes, and we played a game involving shooting little metal balls across a board, and he kept saying something that Grandma was convinced was guy, but i'm pretty sure he was saying, die, die, die! Also he half-screamed when i dared to pick him up of the couch. Which he was standing on.

Monday, December 10, 2007

First singing lesson this morning. Did various warm-ups and exercises to, well, warm up and exercise, and find my range. I have one piece for practicing, Come and trip it by i think Handel. A minor, originally C minor. I can't put the whole thing on here for copyright reasons, but i can say that the entire lyrics are: "Come, and trip it as you go, on the light fantastic toe," put in different ways. It's really neat, three medium-sized pages long. I'm also supposed to get a book, Mezzo Soprano (Moderately Soprano, which is the high range)(it's Italian). There are two volumes and i'm not sure if i should get the second also, but i probably will.

I've wanted to have voice lessons or be in a more advanced choir since July, when the For You choir sang a Bach cantata. I've been in church choirs since i was probably six, when i learned to read. I won't say my age, but that means i've been singing officially for more than half my life. I was pretty sure i'm an Alto, except for the last couple months. The ranges go from high to low Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, with generally the top two for women and children, the bottom two for men.

Going with Mom to Concordia tonight. Everything was covered in a thin layer of ice this morning. Storm tonight.

So tired. Not been sleeping well since Naomi's. First my schedule was just off, with going to bed and getting up late, but now it's getting to sleep latelate and waking up regular. Two mugs of warm milk and honey last night, with a headache and a stomachache, the kind i get when i need sleep. Still have that stomachache.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Need. Tonight was the Candle Walk (candles are placed in paper bags all along both sides of both sidewalks of a fairly short street, and people walk up and down and get emotional and runny-nosed, the second accidental), so Fuzzy and Squishy and Juicy and i walked and got emotional and runny-nosed. And cold in other ways: by the time we got back, i couldn't feel my legs. I probably shouldn't wear skirts (as opposed to pants, not opposed to nothing) for walking outside in December, but it's not really an option for me anymore. Here is probably where i sigh.

Made cookies today. Frosted them with the Peach Slaves.*

I picked my CHRISTmass "recital" pieces just now, which is sad, since the "recital" is in exactly a week. Ah well. Wading through Advent, CHRISTmass and Epiphany pieces is fun, especially when i play so much pedal the heel of my foot goes to sleep.

The reason it's a "recital" and not just a plain recital is that the "recital" is done at the mall. They hook the piano up to the speaker system and sell hours of time to whoever will perform. It's what we've done the last two years for December recitals.

And now for my slightly-edited-for-those-who-know-me-ish CHRISTmass wishlist, just in case… ;D

Pants!

A long stapler, that can staple a regular-sized piece of paper in the middle

"Tintenblut" by Cornelia Funke, in German (not "Tintenherz")

Or perhaps "Tintentod" by the same author

‘Willow Run’ by Patricia Reilly Giff

"Enna Burning" by Shannon Hale

A wallet (full if possible)

Who What Where (game)

Killer Bunnies (game)

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption game

Something orange

$1,000,000 (not going to stop trying)

If you must get me jewelry (that sounds conceited), red would be appreciated.

*(not to Fuzzy or Squishy or Denim) Do you know who the Peach Slaves are?

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Laudo couldn't sleep sometimes, and he often passed hours by watching people in the streets go by. The third time he found Amala going by at midnight he got up and went outside to meet her."Are you okay?" She jumped.

"Yes, yes… i'm looking for Altu, you know, one of those flowers best picked at night." She had no gathering basket.

"Amala, about the King," he started.

"What? I'm fine, you know that."

"But not just the king, about the Prince," he said. Small pause. "Edmund."

One sniff. Two. Then came torrents of tears, soaking his sweater. He let her weep for a while, moving them to a small grove of trees.

When her face was relatively dry, he gently asked, "What happened?"

She thought a moment, then: "You know the Queen was barren for many a year? Her husband came to me in the middle of the night to ask for a child. And Queen Snow-White asked for - what else? - golden-yellow hair that grows fast for her child. Who asks for that? Mostly i get requests for healthy children! And hair. What importance is hair? She could've asked that the child will have good eyesight or an unbloodiable nose or- or- something useful. Growing fast. That just makes it worse! You want to trim it each week? What if she wants short hair? And what are you going to do with all that hair, make a ladder?" Laudo positioned himself to hear a lot more of this. "But ask for hair she did, and being a fool, i tried. Not hard, but i tried. Of course she sent but a single hair, probably from her endless trimmings, as she couldn't stand pulling a fresh one. Do you know how hard it is to make a baby from two hairs? It's pretty hard. With most people I'd've demanded a lock more if they want a child, but the King said this was to be secret, and I thought not of this outcome.

"You know Michael was called away urgently the day after Zel- Ed was born? Well, the third day, Her Vain Self came with the Princess and soldiers. She complained of the lack of hair, as though the baby wasn't absolutely beautiful anyway, and she thought greedily of my Edmund. Oh, Ed," and she cried a few minutes more. "I missed him so, after they were switched. I didn't dare do anyting without Michael, and he never came back. The new baby was nothing like Ed. She cried too much and she didn't have a lovely fluffy head and those eyes- but now, now she's my own dear, i'm afraid i love her more than my true child.

"But what am i saying? She is my true child, i wouldn't give her up for anything, not even… not even Ed. He should be happy where he is. They have fresh food to eat at every meal, and never worn-out shoes, and no one dares point and glare. Oh how i wish," she sighed, and stared into space. After a minute or so Laudo cleared his throat and she continued.

"But i was always afraid the Queen would do something, except the King wouldn't let her, surely. But he let her switch the babies. What was she thinking? The fool. He has magic blood in him, likely he'll be a Warlock. And he looks nothing like either Royal Family with their pale skin. He must feel so out of place. But poor Zel, she has not hair. Of course she doesn't, that's what caused so much of this trouble. Hair! I hate hair." And she grabbed handfuls of her own deep brown locks, as though she would tear it out then and there. Laudo said nothing.

"Why Marizel?" He interrupted her thoughts at last.

"I made it up on the spot. Mari- was from Marik, Ed's middle name, and -zel, well… i didn't want her to lose that enirely." She was silent a moment or two.

"How obvious was it? That Zella's not mine. By blood."

"Not very to those who don't know you. We always suspected something, but we're well brought up about those who don't look like family." Laudo had three boys who looked nothing like him.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Today after Jujutsu (Martial Art) Shihan (that's teacher) Rick told me to come upstairs and join the adult class for five minutes. We went upstairs, but had to wait five minutes already for the weight-lifting people to get out. I commented that it looked boring, just lifting heavy stuff.

Now i've been a blue belt for quite a while. The belts go white, blue, green, three degrees of brown, ten degrees of black. I know why i wasn't getting a green belt, or at least i'm reasonably positive i know. It's because of this one type of roll i couldn't get, because every time i tried it, without fail, i'd hurt my back. (This may sound funny at my age, but i have a badish back. I hurt it often enough in Jujutsu. I hurt it last Thursday. We were doing flying kicks and i landed wrong, my ankle kind of twisted underneath me - it's fine now - and i landed hard and probably jarred my spine or something. Ugh.) But i finally got the roll a few weeks ago. I'm sure i'm a first degree brown belt.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Ah, what a Lutheran Feast Day that is. Yes, i know that was yesterday. Did you know Martin Luther put them up on October 31 because the next day was All Saints' Day (used to be All Hallows' Day) and he know everybody was going to be in church the next day? (i can almost hear all of you nodding Yes, I know, but of course i can't hear you because i'm writing this now you and you will read this later, or in your case, the current now)

To a couple candy-givers (i still Trick-or-Treat) i said, "Happy Reformation Day!" My favorite reaction was the lady who said "oh," quietly and backed up slightly.

But as Pastor G. pointed out in his sermon last night, we don't celebrate Reformation Day. We don't say, "Ha, we know the truth and those Roman Catholics don't!" We never rejoice that people don't know the right things. We're happy for our knowing, but we mourn for those who don't. We pray for them (Yes, M, i pray for you and L, and your family), and try to preach the Gospel, and in the meantime sing several hymns.

On that note, there's no feeling like the one you get when you've just received your Lord and Saviour's Body and Blood, and you're kneeling up there in the Sacrestry (spelcheck says Tapestrying), and Pastor says, "The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart † in peace." (LSB 199) while 31 people somewhere behind you are singing At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing in tune. And loudly, in a good way. (that one's LSB 633)

Woah! Step back - the future's so bright for you it's blinding me! You are the coolest of the cool. Everyone looks up to you as the benchmark for being coooool. The fonze was your grandfather. Any cooler and you'd freeze! WOO it's chilly in here.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

First of all, did you know i teach piano lessons? Sort of. (i don't get paid, but it's fun.) I started August 31. Teaching Oly'Anna S..* First of all, she's smrt.** You know fingerings and ups*** and downs**** and all that? She got that, no problem. (Some [nobody who reads my blog or related to one who does] of my Mom's students have trouble with that, and i have no idea how! It's just not as hard as all that!)

But anyway, the fact is that i teach weekly.

And then last Monday we had our usual church schedule, which began with Children's Choir (i'm still in it - for the sake of the choir, i say) practice. But Mom had opened the garage door when we were leaving, and forgot that that would set off the alarm. She ran home to tell the police that it's all right, and i started choir practice. Hm. Well. I don't think i'm all that ready for teaching a choir yet. I'd rather sit in the back and know all the answers. All i could do was open to the hymn***** and get them to sign the first two stanzas. Them Mom got back and took over, which made it a lot better, though everybody else said i did a wonderful job.

My last teaching position was yesterday. At the H.'s, doing biology (with Erik H., Matthew H., and Nick S.), Mrs. S. (teacher) had to take most of her kids home, and Matthew and i were the only one who'd done the On Your Own 3.1, and i'm older.****** So i showed The Icks (Erik and Nick [IckIck and NickIck]) how it was done, and today Mrs. S. was telling me all about how NickIck was praising my good job, calling me a "born teacher."

A born teacher? I don't think there is such a thing. You could be a born bossy person. But teaching isn't an instinct. But it is a talent… and both my parents are teachers. But i was raised by them. So is it inherited or did i learn by watching my parents? I'm inclined (partially from my choir experience) to say it was watching my parents. Is that how i got musical too? And my love of reading? And obscure facts?******* I've also been told to lead JuJitsu once in a while when Mr. H. (different one) is busy, and when Scottie isn't there, since he's older and higher ranked than me. Though shorter. And oh so annoying. Worse than zAaron AND the Icks!

But i digress. The teaching thing is part of learning JuJitsu, so that isn't singling me out.

I guess i never really thought of Nick as getting older. Except now he's almost as tall as me. Which, by the way, is wrong. People don't grow taller than me. I grow taller than them sometimes. That's just the way everything works. However, Erik recently grew taller than me, but i let it slide since he's technically a little older.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

"The first thing we saw was smoke. Thick, black smoke fills the sky still. Huge and suffocating, I imagine, but - the building is mostly collapsed now - but the wind is taking it away.

It's still there, the fire. I know what they really mean by 'leaping flames' now. They're pouring water all over it, but the fire still goes higher than the buildings next to it. Now they're spraying those ones, so they don't catch it.

I'm about a block away, but I feel the heat on my face and arms, just like sitting close to the campfire, but not so happy.

It was a lumber yard. All that wood. Gone.

We got there before the fire trucks, even. I wonder how big the fire got before someone called it in. A lumber yard on Sunday morning, in a non-residential area, nobody was there, most likely. Well, that's a blessing. And it was only that one building that caught. Probably the smoke tipped whoever it was off. The black smoke of a fire left alone to burn."

[note: I would like to say the fire was red, reminiscent of blood (it's poetic), but it wasn't. It was orange, orange, beautiful and terrible and i couldn't keep my eyes off, sad though it was. We went back last night, Vati and me, but now it's just black things on the ground, and bits of broken glass, and two poles still standing up from the ground like the only survivors. Which they were. Why did i put a simile there? Hm.]

Why am i so quick to abuse my wonderfuzzly colored book transporter? Because i actually want to use it, and i'm going to the G.'s (Pr. G. is our Assistant Pastor) tomorrow, from 8-5, and that means all my school. Well, it's be a change. We're doing it so i won't be all alone all the time. They have only 5 children (all girls), names and ages will possibly be posted later, when spellings and such are confirmed.

So, after church yesterday, we had an RLA thing. Resurrection Lutheran Academy was opening a new school, and Mom and Dad and Nat and Anna and Erik and i were all in the adult choir for their "ceremony," and Prs. S. and G. were both there too, along with a couple other people from our congregation. They called it a ceremony, although it was technically a service. Even though they handed out "programs" instead of bulletins, and the sermon didn't have the Law or the Gospel, didn't hear Christ and Him crucified for me, only anecdotes, and the Old Testament and Epistle were read by kids, one of them a girl, and afterwards we all (excluding a few Emmausites) sang "Allelu, allelu, allelu, alleluia!" and then the new principal got up and talked forever.

Later Mom and i ran errends, and saw a world-class pianist live (So-and-so Svietske or something, very Russian) (maybe more on him later), and roadkill, and i got my bookbag.

4:59 PM me: No, i don't think they actually say "Into the woods to sell a friend!", but i'm sure the others are said.

5:00 PM FuzzyAnan: So... whatcha been doin?

me: Watching Into the woods.

FuzzyAnan: Besides that. :-E

5:01 PM me: Checking my magnanimous e-mail.

5:02 PM Taking pies out of the oven.

FuzzyAnan: Wow! Action!

me: Trying to print Sita pictures.

FuzzyAnan: Wow! Not-so action!

me: Me headache.

5:03 PM FuzzyAnan: Me tummyache

.

me: Me tummyache too.

FuzzyAnan: We giggle hurt.

*Me

5:04 PM Me ickle brother crying.

4yo

Me has lot to clean.

me: So you're giggling at your four year old brother's misery?

FuzzyAnan: No.

5:05 PM me: I swept and swiffered the kitchen floor.

FuzzyAnan: Me in too much pain to react to teasing.

Wow!

me: Thus assuring my place in heaven (JOKE).

FuzzyAnan: Self mortification!

5:06 PM me: Justification.

FuzzyAnan: Me doing self mortification.

5:07 PM Not having taken pain killer yet.

me: Oh.

Then i guess i am too.

Me no pain killed either.

5:08 PM FuzzyAnan: Me hope no one see what we say.*****

Me think scandalous we are.

me: Me think lazy we are.

5:09 PM FuzzyAnan: Me think we getting out of work we are.

Me think me Yoda-talk be really bad.

5:11 PM Me think you have to read Pastor's comment on my Life Planners post right away!

me: Me think me grammar ith terribler than it should be.

FuzzyAnan: Sorry if we overdid it, Anan, but I'm relieved to know that you're not cranky about it. Of course, planning your life for you would have been much simpler if Mrs. Stuckwisch and I had been given another son between Zachary and Nicholai. Alas, it was not to be. But never fear, we do just happen to have any number of good friends with sons of the appropriate age, and it's only a matter of time before the right match becomes obvious. Who knows, you may even get this figured out on your own before we do No sense taking chances, though. Since we have the advantage of knowing what an amazing young lady you are, it seems only right that we assist you by identifying well-suited young men from good homes and families. We're making a list and checking it twice.

(quote)

5:13 PM me: That's terrifying!

You're listfull!******

FuzzyAnan: I know!

5:14 PM AaaahhhH!!!!!!!!

me: Ha, but you're two years older than i am.

My list won't come till 2009 or so.

FuzzyAnan: Wwaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!

5:15 PM

me: Nyaaa!

FuzzyAnan: Do you promise to help me survive?

5:16 PM NyaaaaaaaaaaaaAAA!!!!

me: How?

FuzzyAnan: I don't knwo if I can hold up on my own...

me: I could tell tales on you!

FuzzyAnan: Moral support.

Yeah!

me: And the boys would want to be off your list!

FuzzyAnan: Tales! Bad ones!

5:17 PM I'm only one girl!

me: It's okay Naan, they won't like you at all.

FuzzyAnan: Phew!

me: Let's see…

FuzzyAnan: I have a picture of me in a trash can! Would that help!

???

5:18 PM me: When you get frustrated, you throw eggs.

Yes.

FuzzyAnan: LOG

me: That would help tons.

FuzzyAnan: LOG

me: Ooh!

You're scandalous!

FuzzyAnan: I grow horns out the sides of my head.

me: Self mortification and such!

FuzzyAnan: Yeah!

5:19 PM I treid to make my brother drink sunscreen!

*tried

me: You'll make him wake up at all hours of the night to take pictures of sunscreen!

FuzzyAnan: What?

LOG

me: Whoops.

dresses*

!

FuzzyAnan: Yeah.

me: Or sunscreen. I could say that too.

5:20 PM FuzzyAnan: I really good at glaring.

me: Sunscreen dresses.

FuzzyAnan: Me face will get stuck that way...

Knife dresses!

me: Ooh, this is great material.

[Whatever he doesn't like] dresses!

FuzzyAnan: I might post this chat on me blog...

5:21 PM Hehehe. (as Aaroon would say)

*Zaaroon

me: And me on mine.

FuzzyAnan: I have five brothers and I know what boys are really like.

Yay!

5:22 PM Anti-popularity publicity!

5:24 PM Jonathan Franck could be my brother if anything happened to my parents. Who would want to be related to him?

me: I'm going to see Pr. Stuckwisch tonight. Should i tell him some of this?

Ha.

FuzzyAnan: If I post on my blog he'll read about it.

me: You write indulgences!

FuzzyAnan: I do!

me: Me too!

Me too!

5:25 PM FuzzyAnan: I make messes and laugh about them!

5:26 PM I'm O negative.

5:27 PM I don't cross myself for "for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory".'

me: You laugh Lots Of Zaaroon Giggles!

lozg!

FuzzyAnan:

5:28 PM I'm not a fan of Texas. Just to be contrary.

me: I been sent to spread the message - bum bum bum - God blessed Texas!

***Me = Me.****I had just changed it to "Into the woods!"*****Whoops.******Meaning she has a List of future husbands. As opposed to me, who remains (as far as i know), blissfully (no offense) Listless.*******Untasty Pastry = Twinkie.